Primary links

July 2015

Fighting between the Turkish military and Kurdish rebels escalated Tuesday amid signs of unease from NATO allies attending an emergency meeting about Turkey's conflicts with the Islamic State group and the Kurds.

Kazakhstan’s 100 Concrete Steps initiative was launched in the spring as a direct response to worsening regional and global conditions. Increased tensions between the major powers had led to tit-for-tat sanctions which had an impact far beyond the countries directly involved. Slowing growth across the world had seen the price of energy and raw materials fall. Europe, Kazakhstan’s biggest trading partner, remained in economic trouble, as has been underlined by the difficulties of putting in place a rescue package for Greece.

“We are disappointed to see the government’s statement renouncing the 1993 Bilateral Agreement despite our long, deep, and mutually beneficial partnership with Kyrgyzstan,” the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek said in its statement.